National News Agency – Baalbek – The Union of Tobacco Farmers in Lebanon honored more than 100 students who succeeded in the exams of the secondary classes in Bekaa during a ceremony held at the “Yakzan Yahfoufi” Hall in Baalbek.
The event was held under the sponsorship of the Minister of Agriculture Ghazi Zeaiter and in the presence of MPs Hussein Moussawi, Marwan Fares, Emile Rahme represented by George Maalouf, Regie’s Director General Engineer Nassif Seklaoui, President of the Union of Municipalities in Baalbek Nassri Outhman, Amal Movement official in Bekaa Mostafa Fouani, Regie’s Head of Agricultural Department and Purchase of Bekaa region Engineer Hassan Hamade, the vice president of the Lebanese General Trade Union and head of Union of Tobacco Farmers, Hassan Faqih, Head of the Union of Tobacco Farmer in Bekaa Ali Mousawi, representatives of “Philip Morris” Robert Naous and Hady Tabshi as well as presidents of municipalities and a number of political and social figures.
Faqih
During the event, Faqih delivered a speech in which he called for “including tobacco and tombac farmers in the National Social Security Fund, increasing the prices in proportion with the high living costs and the increasing costs of tobacco farming, continuing the support from the state to this agricultural activity and other activities as is the case in many other countries.”
Faqih also stressed the necessity of “instructing all concerned parties to provide agricultural loans without interest, adopting a comprehensive national agricultural plan that restores the image of national agriculture as a cornerstone for the economy and the stabilization of rural people in their areas in order to increase the labor force in these areas and decrease the internal displacement rates.”
“It is important to compensate to the farmers who were affected from the July 2006 war since many of them are still unable to plant their lands due to cluster bombs,” Faqih said.
Seklaoui
For his part, Eng. Seklaoui said: “When the brave soldiers were liberating the mountains the brave hands of the farmers were planting in the fields”.
Eng. Seklaoui added that the meeting is the translation of Regie’s follow-up on the concerns of tobacco and tombac farmers, based on the recommendations of House Speaker Nabih Berri.
“After working in South and North Lebanon, we are now fulfilling the promise we made last year,” Eng. Seklaoui said, adding that Regie, in cooperation with Philip Morris International and the Union of Tobacco Farmers, is distributing scholarships to the children of tobacco farmers in Bekaa; increasing the number of beneficiaries to 120 students.
“Along with Philip Morris International, we will proceed with this special initiative in the 3 governorates to reassure the importance of cooperation between the public and the private sectors.”
In this regard, Eng. Seklaoui noted that the initiative aims at encouraging the children of farmers to continue their education because education is a form of sustainable development and helps in combatting child labor.
Eng. Seklaoui pointed out that this cooperation is a scientific, cultural and educational message from Regie to the children of tobacco farmers.
“We support all their potentials because our country is in dire need for influential leaders and active minds.”
Seklaoui also stated that Regie will not only implement this project that has now hundreds of students to provide financial assistance for the children of tobacco farmers, but will also provide special assistance to the excellent students.
“We are convinced that public institutions and facilities of different disciplines must all support the youth and open their doors to all those who have capabilities and potentials to succeed.”
Zeaiter
Meanwhile, Minister Zeaiter said: “Between the tobacco plant in our country and the march toward achievements and success, there’s the story of suffering and hope, there’s a relationship similar to that between the candle and the wick! How not, and on the frontlines with the 2 bitter enemies; Israel and deprivation, stand tobacco farmers who are the keen on confronting, and standing again.”
The Minister added: “Because we share the same destiny, Speaker Berri stressed that tobacco planting is the alternative kind of agriculture that provides social stability and cooperation in order to achieve more adherence to the land and to decrease internal displacement, belts of misery or even immigration that is emptying our villages from its youth.”
He also said: “From our position, and our knowledge about the suffering of tobacco farmers and the efforts they exert throughout 14 months, we must praise these farmer and their families who were able despite all the difficulties to provide their children with the needed attention and follow-up to achieve excellent educational levels”.
“In Bekaa, we will work to make tobacco farming a theme related to the development of Bekaa and to the eradication of deprivation, and as we comply with the recommendations of Speaker Berri, who is a brother and a close friend, we will work more to support this agricultural activity, increase the prices of tobacco and support the farmers,” Minister Zeaiter said, reiterating that tobacco farmers, as Speaker Berri says, are similar to roses that grow between the thorns.
He also added that the political stability is a prerequisite for the economic development and the stable security situation, noting that “this requires us all to push the political life forward by achievements made through the constitutional and legal paths under the supervision of the parliament without which no constitutional process or constitutional entitlement would have seen the light”.
“For this reason, we will not accept any obstacle that hinders the elections for it will be against the promises we made to the Lebanese people and we call on all the Lebanese in Lebanon and abroad to carry out all the needed steps to benefit from their right to vote.”
In this regard, Minister Zeaiter noted that dialogue and cooperation serve the better interest of Lebanon, adding that this dialogue in the democratic institutions preserves the achievements and helps the people and the nation.
Ending his speech, Minister Zeaiter thanked Eng. Seklaoui and all the teams that work with him to serve this sector and also thanked Philip Morris International that has been honoring for the past 5 years, in cooperation with the Union of Tobacco Farmers, the children of tobacco farmer in Lebanon by providing them with scholarships that allow them to continue their education.
“Let us all together stand by the side of Speaker Berri who said that the tobacco plant is well rooted in Lebanon’s history and will always be rooted in Lebanon.”
By the end of the ceremony, certificates were given to the children of tobacco farmers.